Compressors are used in engine intake systems to increase the density of the intake air. Consequently, the combustion output may be increased, emissions may be decreased, and/or fuel economy may be increased. However, compressing intake air also increases the temperature of the intake air. This increase in air temperature decreases air density, thereby diminishing some of the gains achieved via compression of the intake air. Therefore, air coolers positioned downstream of compressors may be used to decrease the temperature of compressed intake air in boosted engines. Air coolers may also be used in conjunction with other systems in the vehicle such as exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) systems to decrease the temperature of the exhaust gas delivered to the intake system.
Charge air coolers may be designed for specific engine applications. Specifically, the size and geometry of air flow passages in air coolers may be sized for a specific engine or vehicle. When the air coolers are uniquely sized for an engine, the applicability of the air cooler is decreased. For example, if a specified air cooler were used in another engine or vehicle configuration, the engine may experience misfires due to condensation build up caused by the mis-sizing. As a result, combustion efficiency may be decreased. Furthermore, misfires may be exacerbated when the intake air is humid, a large amount of torque is requested by the vehicle operation (e.g., open throttle conditions), and/or during a downshift in a transmission.
The inventors herein have recognized the above issues and developed an air cooler line. The air cooler lines includes a first air cooler having a plurality of air flow conduits, each of the air flow conduits including an inlet, and a first air flow deflector extending across peripheral portions of the inlets and fixedly coupled to the air flow conduits and a second air cooler having a plurality of air flow conduits, each of the air flow conduits including an inlet, and a second air flow deflector extending across peripheral portions of the inlets and fixedly coupled to the air flow conduits, the second air flow deflector differing in at least one of size and geometry than the first air flow deflector.
In this way, an air cooler line may be provided for a number of vehicles, thereby increasing the applicability of the air cooler line and decreasing manufacturing costs. The size and geometry of the air flow deflectors may be adjusted to achieve desired air-flow characteristics in each of the air coolers via differences in the flow deflector selected. In this way, manufacturing costs and complexity can be reduced, while still decreasing condensation build-up, if desired. When condensation is decreased in the air coolers, mis-fires in the engine are reduced and the air cooler's reliability is increased.
In one example, the plurality of air flow conduits in the first air cooler and the plurality of air flow conduits in the second air cooler may be identical in size and geometry. In this way, the air flow conduits are standardized across the air cooler line, enabling the manufacturing costs of the line to be further decreased.
The above advantages and other advantages, and features of the present description will be readily apparent from the following Detailed Description when taken alone or in connection with the accompanying drawings.
It should be understood that the summary above is provided to introduce in simplified form a selection of concepts that are further described in the detailed description. It is not meant to identify key or essential features of the claimed subject matter, the scope of which is defined uniquely by the claims that follow the detailed description. Furthermore, the claimed subject matter is not limited to implementations that solve any disadvantages noted above or in any part of this disclosure. Additionally, the above issues have been recognized by the inventors herein, and are not admitted to be known.